ABSTRACT
The Tory split of 1846 marked the point when the interests of the City, shipping, trade and industry challenged the landed interest for control of the Tory Party. Patriot King encapsulated the realities of maritime strategy and sea power, stressing that all states are unique; therefore their overriding interests and the manner in which they sought to achieve them would be different. While the French Revolution shook the Tory world to its very foundations, the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte helped restore a sense of normality to international relations. Bonaparte's titanic wars and limitless ambition dwarfed those of previous European conquerors, but they were increasingly linked to pre-Revolutionary national ambition. French hegemony in Europe had been a core concern for Englishmen since the 1670s, when it replaced fears of over-mighty Habsburg imperium. While a small British army and large subsidies kept the French busy in Europe, the main effort was made outside the Continent.
